Various opposition parties today expressed resentment over New Delhi’s refusal to return power project to Jammu and Kashmir.

National Conference hit out at PDP-BJP government and the Chief Minister for what it termed as their “surrender” on the demand seeking the return of power projects to the State.

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“Silence of the Chief Minister in view of union minister R. K. Singh’s remarks speaks volumes about her hypocrisy and sell-out to remain glued to power. New Delhi’s refusal to return power projects is an insult to PDP,” NC state spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu said in a statement.

“Union Minister had made it unambiguously clear that the demand for the return of the power projects made in the ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ was yet another lie that was propounded at that time to justify PDP’s Freudian bargain with the BJP to form a Government in the State for purely self-seeking intentions,” he said.

“This is yet another instance where the Central Government has, without any pretence, absolved itself of any promises that were made in the ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ between the PDP and BJP. What makes this even more tragic is the silence of PDP and especially the Chief Minister”, he asked.

“It was none other than PDP vice president Muzaffar Baigh who questioned the very existence of the ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ and such brazen abandonment of the document and the promises it enshrined by no less a figure of authoring than a union minister clearly exposed PDP and proves beyond any doubt that the party had no ideological or public-interest-driven agenda to cobble up an alliance with the BJP – something that was done for the singular purpose of first making Mufti Sahab and then Mehbooba Mufti the Chief Minister”, he said.

MLA Kulgam and senior leader of CPI (M) Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami described the statement of union power minister RK Singh regarding categorical refusal of power projects from NHPC to state “highly disturbing and disappointing.”

“The promises made and assurances given by the leadership of PDP-BJP who are running the alliance government in the state have proved mere hoax,” Tarigami said.

“The off repeated noises made by the leadership of these parties regarding initiation of dialogue and return of power projects have only proved to be a big joke. It appears to be in total contravention to the recommendations of the Rangarajan Committee and the commitment made by the present dispensation at the time of power sharing agreement,” a statement of the party said.

“Exploitation of water resources of the state by NHPC appears not to be for the benefit of people of the state. Instead of extending assistance for hydro electric projects to the state the centre is showing a callous approach to empower and make J&K resourceful and self reliant,” he said.

“PDP has time and again advocated for return of these projects to the state and making it an essential component of agenda of alliance and even claiming to fulfill the same. Now the statement of the Power Minister has put a big question mark on PDP and agenda of alliance itself,” he added.

Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) president and MLA Khansahib Hakim Muhammad Yasin today said that “Government of India's categoric refusal to return the hydel power projects from the NHPC to J&K has once again exposed the PDP-BJP government's so-called 'Agenda of Alliance'.”

Reacting to union Power minister RK Singh's statement that 390-MW Dulhasti and 4890-MW Uri-I hydropower projects can't be transferred from the NHPC to J&K Government, he said, "the PDP leadership used to flaunt that in their 'Agenda of Alliance' the BJP-led central Government has agreed to explore modalities for transfer of hydropower projects from the NHPC to J&K, secure a share in profits of the NHPC from its projects in the state and revise all royalty agreements between the state and the NHPC. However, time and again, these claims have been exposed by the Center."

“PDP used to claim that AoA is a sacred document and BJP has accepted in the document that it won’t abrogate Article 370. But now every one knows what BJP's stand is. Both PDP and BJP have been totally exposed that they have inherent contradictions,” Yasin added.